


One Sweet Day

by AThousandAndOneHours



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:02:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28145811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AThousandAndOneHours/pseuds/AThousandAndOneHours
Summary: Loosely based on the song of the same name, by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Maleficent
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13





	One Sweet Day

**Author's Note:**

> Please read the warning if you haven't already. Un beta'd for now. More notes at the bottom.

“Come along Lily, it’s time to go home, dear.” Mal called out, and her three year old hurried over, tear tracks staining her face. The blonde scooped her up and held her snug to her chest as they headed to the car. It had been such a long, painful week for them both, and it was all she could do not to fall to her knees and sob her heart out. Lily was the only reason she kept going, if she was being honest.

* * *

_When the curse was cast, it had taken Mal by surprise, as she hadn’t actually thought Regina would go through with it. She’d only laid her egg the day before, and it had dried overnight, giving her a baby girl, who she’d named Lilith Raina._

_Waking in the new world was… strange… to say the least. Her memories from the old world were still very much there, and it felt like the two sets were battling in her head, making it difficult to concentrate, and sometimes giving her headaches._

_That wasn’t the only strange thing, though. She hadn’t woken alone. Lily had been nearby, of course, but beside her in bed had been none other than Regina herself, and they’d had matching wedding bands on. It had taken her a few days to come to terms with that, but once she had, she was happy about it. There was no long courting period to deal with, and because the town remembered them always being together, they didn’t get weird looks, or questions, from the peasants._

_Eventually, her memories had adjusted themselves, with a wall between the two sets so she could access both without nearly as many headaches, and she and Regina had settled as well, learning to cohabitate, and co-parent._

* * *

“Darling, have you seen my… Oh, thank you.” Mal asked, then smirked as Regina handed over her briefcase, stealing a kiss as little feet could be heard. Today, Regina had no meetings for the morning, so she was staying home with Lily, while Mal went to work for a few hours, then they’d have lunch together at Granny’s, and she’d bring Lily home afterwards. Once the toddler was down for a nap, she’d do some paperwork, then the pair would figure out dinner together and her daughter would ‘help’ her make it.

Mal hadn’t wanted to trust someone else with Lily at first, so they’d worked out a way they could both work without needing any assistance, though they did have the occasional date night, with Granny usually watching Lily. Part of it was due to her attempted kidnap before she’d even hatched, and part of it was not wanting to miss out on time that could be spent with the precocious girl.

After breakfast, Mal was off, after giving them both a kiss and agreeing to meet at Granny’s at the usual time. Her office hours passed quickly, and soon she was on her way out the door again, briefcase and purse in hand, keys in the other.

She hadn’t stepped more than two feet into Granny’s before a little body collided with her legs, and she immediately scooped her up, used to doing so. Every Tuesday and Thursday, she went into the office in the morning, while Regina stayed home with Lily. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Regina went to work as normal, and Mal stayed home all day with Lily, though Regina usually came home for lunch those days. Life was idyllic, and she wouldn’t change it, though she wouldn’t mind adding another child or two, if her wife was open to it.

After she’d sat down and placed her order, she looked over at her wife and grinned. “How was your day so far?” She asked, then listened to both brunette’s explain what they’d done, with Lily’s being far more enthusiastic than Regina’s, not that either woman minded. Lily was loved equally by both of them, regardless of who gave birth to her.

Lunch was over far too soon, and they swapped car keys, as it was easier than moving the car seat from one car to the other. After Regina had kissed them both goodbye, Mal carried Lily to the car, her briefcase, purse, and the diaper bag straps all on one shoulder. Once Lily was buckled in, and the bags were settled on the front passenger seat, Mal climbed in, eager to go home, change, and relax with her daughter.

Mal had settled Lily with a movie and a coloring book, then went to change into something more comfortable. When she came back, the toddler was half asleep, and she decided to let her nap on the couch today, heading for the office to work on some of her paperwork. She quickly got lost in her work, and hearing the phone ringing about an hour later brought her out of it. The next two minutes felt like an eternity, and she could almost feel her heart breaking in her chest as she hung up, in shock.

Over the next half an hour, she made a few phone calls, and once Granny arrived to watch Lily, she left, feeling as if she was moving through jelly. All too soon, she was pulling up to the hospital. Sniffling, she sat in her car for a few minutes before she forced herself to get out and do what needed done, even if she’d rather pretend she’d never gotten that call in the first place. Mal hadn’t imagined living without Regina again once they’d settled into life here, and she truly didn’t want to now, but she knew she had little choice. Magic couldn’t fix everything.

The rest of the day was a blur, and once she’d signed numerous forms, she’d driven back home in a fog, eaten dinner with Lily, then had to explain that Regina, her Mommy, wasn’t coming home, and why. They’d spend the rest of the night crying in the master bedroom, her daughter not really able to comprehend why her Mommy wasn’t coming home.

As bad as the previous evening had been, waking to a world without Regina was much, much worse. Lily had cried on waking and remembering her Mommy was not there, and Mal had to deal with two tantrums that day. By the time she was putting the dinner dishes in the dishwasher, her shoulders were sagging, her eyes were so red and painful she could barely see, and she just wanted to crawl in bed and stay there forever. She couldn’t imagine being able to live this way, but knew she had to. Mal refused to leave Lily to fend for herself in this cruel world, Regina would never forgive her if she did.

* * *

The day after the funeral, Mal forced herself to get out of bed and feed Lily, but they ended up on the couch most of the day, as they had been doing for the last few days. She just… she didn’t know what to do with herself, or how to move on. Regina had been her world for so long, and yes, Lily was a huge part of that world, but she wasn’t supposed to be raising her alone, damnit! They’d agreed not long after they’d gotten here that they’d do it all together, and it wasn’t fair for Regina to be taken from her the way she had been, from them, really. If only time travel was real, she’d do it in a heartbeat, just to get her love back. She needed Regina, desperately, they both did.

**Author's Note:**

> I may continue this if there is enough interest, and it might go in a different direction than what is already here. Open to opinions, but I may or may not use ideas that are suggested.


End file.
